Cover trimming and wrapping machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jan. 7, 1964 w. w. PRUE COVER TRIMMING AND WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51,- 1962 WALTER W. PRUE FIG.

Jan. 7, 1964 w. w. PRUE COVER TRIMMING AND WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

l2 IO 28 4 l1 r3 1 I31? gnaw-) 25 i WIS i 4) "I |6 3 LL11 INVENTOR. WALTER W. PRUE United States Patent 3,116,500 CUVER TRHMMTNG AND WRAPPHNG MACHINE Walter W. Prue, 331 Minot Ave, Auburn, Maine Filed Aug. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 220,748 8 Claims. (CL 12-49.]L)

This invention comprises a new and improved machine for trimming the breast and heel-seat margins of a heel cover and wrapping or wiping the trimmed margins over the body of the heel. Although not limited in its field of use the machine may advantageously be employed in covering womens high heels of the Louis type having an extremely thin waist and a top lift of very small area. Such heels often require a covering of thin, delicate sheet material. The machine of my invention is organized to trim such material and to wrap its margins about the body of a heel or other article smoothly, without wrinkles or puckers and without tearing or other damage.

In a broad aspect the machine of my invention is characterized by the combination of a trimming knife or knives with cover drafting and wiping means in the form of a spindle rotating in the cylindrical recess of a block. Such cover drafting and wiping means are disclosed in my prior Letters Patent No. 3,006,004 dated October 31, 1961 to which reference may be had for further details not directly involved in the present case.

The novel combination above described is further characterized in that the rotary spindle is provided at a predetermined level with one or more circumferential grooves and a cooperating knife or knives which are arranged to be brought into action by the operator.

The rotary spindle is designed to serve as a height gauge by engaging either the heel-seat surface of the heel body or the breast surface thereof and so controls the width of the margin remaining after the trimming operation. In this connection a further feature of the invention consists in providing the spindle with a circumferential groove at a predetermined height above its end gauging surface for the accommodation of the trimming knife.

As herein shown and as a further feature of the invention the spindle may be provided with circumferential grooves at different levels and with cooperating knives arranged to be brought selectively into action in accordance with the width desired in the trimmed margin preparatory to overwiping or wrapping it about either the heel-seat surface or the breast face of the heel.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view with certain parts shown in section,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating the breast wrapping step,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in cross section on the line 33 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view partially in cross section of parts shown in FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of a modified structure.

In the drawings only sufficient portions of the frame appear as are required to support the operating elements of the machine and the frame includes a stationary bracket 10 in which are formed horizontal ways for a slide 11. The slide carries an arm 12. connected to an adjusting screw 13 with the bracket 10 and by means of this screw the slide 11 and all parts carried thereby may be adjusted from front to rear.

A carrier plate 14 is pivotally mounted on the side 11 by means of a stud 15. To the rear end of the plate is secured a tension spring 16 which tends at all times to rock the plate 14 in a counterclockwise direction. An adjusting screw 17 threaded into a portion of the frame limits the movement of the plate 14 while leaving it free to yield to swing against the tension of the spring 16 in a clockwise direction.

The plate 14 has a carrier arm 18 extending forwardly therefrom and secured in position by a screw 19. At its forward end the arm 13 carries a block 20 which is provided with a vertically cylindrical recess. The block 20 may be formed of Teflon, polyethylene or other plastic compound. It is secured in place by a screw 21 and beveled somewhat on its under surface to form a projecting nose 22 as shown in FIG. 5, or its under surface may be beveled to form a recess in the nose 22 as shown in FIG. 6.

In the machine frame is mounted a vertically driven shaft 23 from which projects a spindle 24, fluted at its lower end and arranged to rotate in the cylindrical recess of the block 20. The shaft 23 rotates in fixed bearings and the spindle 24 is effective to engage and draft upwardly sheet material interposed between the spindle and the cylindrical surface of the recess. It will be apparent that while the spindle rotates about a fixed axis adjustment with respect to the block 20 may be effected by movement of the slide 11 and rocking movement of the carrier plate 14 controlled by the spring 16 and screw 17. The mechanism described up to this point is substantially that described and claimed in my prior patent above identified. The end of the spindle 24 acts as a height gauge and as shown in FIG. 2 is engaged with the breast edge of a heel 40 while the spindle 24- and the block 20 cooperate to draft the heel cover material 41 upwardly and eventually to wipe it inwardly over the breast surface. In FIG. 1 the spindle 24 is shown as engaging a heel-seat surface of the heel 40 drafting the cover 41 upwardly and eventually wiping the margin inwardly over the heel-seat surface.

lin order to trim the cover 41 preparatory to overwiping or wrapping it the spindle 24 is provided adjacent to its lower gauging end with a pair of circumferential grooves 25 and 26 located at a predetermined distance above its end. The flutes 27 of the spindle 24 are shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 3 and with the spindle cooperates a clearing blade 28 mounted on a part of the machine frame and contoured to enter the grooves 25 and 26 and clear from them the shredded trim from the cover 41.

The carrier plate 14 is provided with ways 30 for a block 31 and ways 33 for a block 34. These blocks are movable toward and from the spindle and they carry knives 32 and 45 which pass through slots in the block 20 that are aligned with the circumferential grooves 25 and 26 of the spindle 24.

The knife carrying blocks 31 and 34 have pin and slot connection with a rocker 36 as best shown in FIG. 5. The rocker is fast to a short shaft 37 secured at its outer end to a hand lever 38 located within convenient reach of the operator. The blocks 31 and 34 are separated in their guideways by a separator bar 39. As shown in FIG. 5 the lever 38 has been moved in counterclockwise direction to advance the block 31 and bring the uppermost knife 32 into operative relation with the upper groove 25 of the spindle 24. As thus organized the machine will operate to trim the heel cover 41 leaving a wide margin to be folded over the heel-seat surface of the heel 40. When the lever 33 is moved in the opposite direction the knife 32 is retracted and the knife 35 advanced to operative position with respect to the lower groove of the spindle thereby being set for trimming the breast edge of the cover 41 to a narrower margin as suggested in FIG. 2.

The upward draft of the cover 41 depends upon the 3 presentation of the heel surface at a slight angle to the axis of the spindle 24. This is determined in dealing with the heel seat surface by employing a block 22 beveled to form a downwardly projecting nose 22, and in dealing with the breast surface by employing a block Zil beveled in the opposite sense.

While the machine herein described is particularly adapted for treating heels, it may be readily modified within the scope of the invention for covering book covers and other leather or fabric covered articles.

Having thus "sclosed my invention and described detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as n and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine for trimming and wrapping the cover of a high heel, comprising a rotary spindle and recessed block cooperating to draft and overwipe the margin of a heel cover upon a heel, the spindle having a circumferential groove adjacent its end, and a trimming knife arranged to enter said groove.

2. A machine for trimming and wrapping the cover of a heel, comprising a block having a cylindrical recess, a spindle rotating within the recess and havin a circumferential groove located Within the recess, and a trimming knife movable through a slot in the block to enter said groove.

3. A machine for trimming and wrapping the cover of a heel, comprising a block having a cylindrical recess and parallel slots intersecting said recess at different levels, a spindle arranged to rotate in said recess and having a circumferential groove at the level of each slot, and trimming knives selectively movable through one slot or the other of the block to enter a corresponding groove of the spindle.

4. A machine for trimming and Wrapping the cover of a heel, comprising a spindle and recessed block cooperat ing to draft and overwipe the margins of the cover while the end of the spindle engages the body of the heel as a height gauge, and a trimming knife movable toward and from the spindle at a fixed distance above its end.

5. A machine for trimming and wrapping the cover of a high heel, comprising means for drafting and wrapping the margins of a cover over the breast edges and heelseat edges of a heel, and separate knives alternately operable at different levels for trimming a wide cover margin about the heel seat and a narrow cover margin along the breast edges of the heel.

6. A machine of the class described comprising a recessed block and rotary tool cooperating to draft the margins of a heel cover and wrap them over the breast edges and heel-seat edges of a heel, the tool having circumferential grooves at dilfercnt levels therein, and separate knives cooperating with each of said grooves for trimming margins of dilferent widths.

7. A machine as described in claim 6, further characterized in that the two knives are connected by a rocker member by which one knife is advanced to operative position while the other knife is retracted.

8. A machine as described in claim 6, further characterized in that each knife is carried by a slide movable in a guideway extending toward and from the recessed block, a separator located between the slides, and a rocker having pin and slot connections with both sides.

References Cited ll. tie file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,994,446 Brostrom Feb. 19, 1935 2,151,095 Bazzoni Mar. 21, 1939 2,972,760 Lipp Feb. 28, 1961 

1. A MACHINE FOR TRIMMING A WRAPPING THE COVER OF A HIGH HEEL, COMPRISING A ROTARY SPINDLE AND RECESSED BLOCK COOPERATING TO DRAFT AND OVERWIPE THE MARGIN OF A HEEL COVER UPON A HEEL, THE SPINDLE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE ADJACENT ITS END, AND A TRIMMING KNIFE ARRANGED TO ENTER SAID GROOVE. 